An Overview of the Massachusetts/Hokkaido and Concord/Nanae Sister State/City Relationships
Soon after Admiral Perry opened the doors to Japan in the 1850’s, the new Emperor Meiji instituted a bold plan to Westernize and modernize Japan. Many New Englanders were enlisted to help develop its northernmost island of Hokkaido, including Dr. William Clark, then President of Massachusetts Agricultural College, now the University of Massachusetts. In 1876, Dr. Clark went to Hokkaido with three graduate students, including William Wheeler from Concord, to assist in the founding of what is now Hokkaido University. Their mission was to introduce northern agriculture and dairy farming. Wheeler took over the administration of the college for three years after Clark returned to Massachusetts. Wheeler’s achievements were acknowledged by the Emperor with the singular honor of the Fifth Order of the Rising Sun.
On returning to Concord, Wheeler became a major contributor to Concord through his many engineering projects and years of public service. He built Concord's water and sewer systems, including the water works at Sandy Pond, Nashawtuc Hill, Annursnac Hill and Nagog Pond. He was "Concord's foremost citizen," serving fifty-one years on Town committees and elected positions such as the Water Commission, School Committee, Board of Health, Light Board, Free Public Library, Town Donations and Moderator. He was also a Trustee of the University of Massachusetts from 1880 to 1929. In addition, he was responsible for bringing to Nashawtuc Hill its uniquely beautiful Japanese trees that were planted at his home there called Maru-Yama Kwan (Round-Hill House) after his time in Hokkaido.
The relationship between Hokkaido University and the University of Massachusetts was rekindled in 1976 at the time of Hokkaido University’s Centennial. In 1990, Massachusetts formalized a sister state relationship with Hokkaido. After a five year courtship, Nanae Town and Concord established a sister city relationship. This was approved by a near unanimous vote by the 1997 Concord Town Meeting.
Nanae is a town of 23,773 located a short distance from the major city of Hakodate in Southwestern Hokkaido. Its main industry is agriculture. It is a portion of the Hakodate Technopolis Project that aims at developing a "brain intensive" industrial park. The town owns the Onuma Quasi National Park. The park includes the majestic live volcano Mt. Komogatake and two caldera lakes.
The Concord Public Schools and the Concord-Carlisle High School have had relationships with Nanae and its schools since 1994. The Thoreau, Willard, and Alcott Schools have affiliations with the Onuma, Togeshita, and Fujishiro Elementary Schools. The Concord Middle School hosted five students and a teacher each year from 1995-2002. The Concord-Carlisle High School has hosted students each fall since 1997 and the CCHS Concert Band went to Nanae in 1998, 2004, and 2007.
Soon after Admiral Perry opened the doors to Japan in the 1850’s, the new Emperor Meiji instituted a bold plan to Westernize and modernize Japan. Many New Englanders were enlisted to help develop its northernmost island of Hokkaido, including Dr. William Clark, then President of Massachusetts Agricultural College, now the University of Massachusetts. In 1876, Dr. Clark went to Hokkaido with three graduate students, including William Wheeler from Concord, to assist in the founding of what is now Hokkaido University. Their mission was to introduce northern agriculture and dairy farming. Wheeler took over the administration of the college for three years after Clark returned to Massachusetts. Wheeler’s achievements were acknowledged by the Emperor with the singular honor of the Fifth Order of the Rising Sun.
On returning to Concord, Wheeler became a major contributor to Concord through his many engineering projects and years of public service. He built Concord's water and sewer systems, including the water works at Sandy Pond, Nashawtuc Hill, Annursnac Hill and Nagog Pond. He was "Concord's foremost citizen," serving fifty-one years on Town committees and elected positions such as the Water Commission, School Committee, Board of Health, Light Board, Free Public Library, Town Donations and Moderator. He was also a Trustee of the University of Massachusetts from 1880 to 1929. In addition, he was responsible for bringing to Nashawtuc Hill its uniquely beautiful Japanese trees that were planted at his home there called Maru-Yama Kwan (Round-Hill House) after his time in Hokkaido.
The relationship between Hokkaido University and the University of Massachusetts was rekindled in 1976 at the time of Hokkaido University’s Centennial. In 1990, Massachusetts formalized a sister state relationship with Hokkaido. After a five year courtship, Nanae Town and Concord established a sister city relationship. This was approved by a near unanimous vote by the 1997 Concord Town Meeting.
Nanae is a town of 23,773 located a short distance from the major city of Hakodate in Southwestern Hokkaido. Its main industry is agriculture. It is a portion of the Hakodate Technopolis Project that aims at developing a "brain intensive" industrial park. The town owns the Onuma Quasi National Park. The park includes the majestic live volcano Mt. Komogatake and two caldera lakes.
The Concord Public Schools and the Concord-Carlisle High School have had relationships with Nanae and its schools since 1994. The Thoreau, Willard, and Alcott Schools have affiliations with the Onuma, Togeshita, and Fujishiro Elementary Schools. The Concord Middle School hosted five students and a teacher each year from 1995-2002. The Concord-Carlisle High School has hosted students each fall since 1997 and the CCHS Concert Band went to Nanae in 1998, 2004, and 2007.
Tom Curtin 11/28/07
マサチューセッツまたは北海道の概観
そして一致か七飯の姉妹州または都市関係
すぐに海軍大将が1850年代の日本にドアを開けた後ペリー、新しい皇帝Meijiは日本を西洋化し、近代化するために大胆な計画を設けた。 多くのニューイングランド地方の人はマサチューセッツ農業の大学の先生、そしてを含むウィリアムクラーク大統領開発を助けるように今マサチューセッツの大学北海道の最北の島の、入隊した。 1876年に、クラーク先生は創設の援助に一致からのウィリアムの荷車引きを含む3人の大学院生が付いている北海道に今では北海道大学はであるものの、行った。 代表団は北の農業および酪農業をもたらすことだった。 荷車引きはクラークがマサチューセッツに戻った3年後大学の管理をのための引き継いだ。 荷車引きの達成は上昇の日曜日の第5等級の単一名誉の皇帝によって認められた。
一致へ戻ることの、荷車引きは公共事業の彼の多くの工学プロジェクトおよび年によって一致への主要コントリビュータになった。 彼は一致の水を造り、サンディの池の水仕事を含む下水道は、Nashawtucの丘、Annursnacの丘およびNagog池になる。 彼は「一致一番の市民」、であり水任務のような町委員会そして選ばれた位置の五十一年、健康の学校委員会、板、軽い板、自由な公共図書館、町の寄付および調整器に役立つ。 彼はまた1880年から1929年までマサチューセッツの大学の受託者だった。 さらに、彼はNashawtucの丘に彼の家そこに呼ばれたMaru-Yama Kwan (円形丘の家)で北海道の彼の時間後に植わった独特に美しい日本の木を持って来ることを担当した。
マサチューセッツの北海道大学と大学間の関係は北海道大学の百年祭の時に1976年に再燃した。 1990年に、マサチューセッツは北海道との姉妹の州関係を形式化した。 5年の求愛の後に、七飯の町および一致は姉妹都市関係を確立した。 これは1997一致の町会合による近い合意の投票によって承認された。
七飯は南西北海道で23,773の町見つけた函館主要な市からの短い間隔をである。 その主要な企業は農業である。 それは「頭脳集中的な」の工業団地を開発することを目指す函館Technopolisのプロジェクトの部分である。 町はOnumaの準国立公園を所有する。 公園は荘重な生きている火山Mt. Komogatakeおよび2つのカルデラ湖を含んでいる。
一致の公立学校におよび一致カーライルの高等学校に1994年以来の七飯そして学校との関係があった。 AlcottのThoreauに、Willardおよび学校にFujishiroのOnuma、Togeshitaおよび小学校との加入がある。 一致の中学校は1995-2002年からの5人の学生そして教師を毎年催した。 一致カーライルの高等学校は毎落下学生を1997年以来の催し、CCHSのコンサートバンドは1998年、2004年、および2007年に七飯に行った。
Tom Curtin 12/4/07